Some songs feel like a release. Others feel like a line in the sand. Shivers’ new single Ready, out today, feels like both.
The Te Whanganui-a-Tara trio have always brought substance to their music, but Ready lands with added weight. It’s warm, soulful and grounded in lived experience – the sound of a band moving with real intent.
Comprised of vocalist Timmy Porter, multi-instrumentalist Adrian Win (Ngāti Hāua, Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa), and producer/keyboardist Josh Parata (Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Rarawa), Shivers move easily through soul, roots reggae, dub, R&B and modern production touches without losing their centre. There’s a Wellington tradition in that kind of openness – heard in acts like Fat Freddy’s Drop and TrinityRoots – but Shivers are carving out their own identity within it.
What gives Ready its strength is the story behind it. For Porter, the song reflects his road back from traumatic brain injury and the rebuilding that followed. That experience gives the track real honesty. It doesn’t lean on hardship – it speaks instead to resilience, gratitude and being ready to move again.
There’s serious pedigree behind the release too, with production from Tiki Taane and Lee Prebble. Their touch is felt in the balance of the record: groove, space and clarity, while keeping the heart of the song intact.
Since forming in 2020, Shivers have built steady momentum through singles like Right of Way, Look at ‘Em Now and reo Māori waiata Tahuti. Ready feels like another step up.
This is the first taste of a new EP due later in 2026. On this evidence, there’s plenty more to come.